Dallas Has Some Decent Delis, But We Need Some Help With Our Bread

Oh Dallas. I'm about ready to admit defeat. In a story I did calling for hoagie suggestions to satisfy my East Coast carpetbagging cravings, many chimed in citing Jimmy's, The Great Outdoors, Biladelphia, Great American Hero and more. I asked for shredded lettuce, a sturdy roll and high-quality meat. Commenter BigJonDaniel nailed it, though; I'd have to settle for two of three.

The issue you will have in Dallas is the bread. It's a poor bread town. Jimmy's comes closest, but theirs is more like an "Italian" from Maine than a Hoagie. Great Outdoors is a stand by, mainly because they bake their own bread, but the bread is not as robust as the roll you describe...

I ate at several of your suggestions. I found lots of great cold cuts, and shredded lettuce is obviously an easy find. But we've gotta have a chat about bread in this town.

I'm not ready to go as far as Jon and proclaim Dallas' bread scene broken, but I think many area bakers are leaving something on the table. Even the sourdough I had during a fine dining experience left a little to be desired. Where's the chewy structure and the crunchy flaky crust I crave?

Many knee-jerk to blaming the water, citing the superior water supplies in stronger bread cultures like New York, Philly and San Francisco. But any master baker worth will tell you that water is minimally important. Flour quality, dough handling and baking conditions are what give bread its taste and texture. The bread in Dallas is the way it is because of how Dallas bakers bake it.

It is possible the heat could be affecting things, if area bakeries don't have good climate control. But that seems unlikely. You don't open a bagel shop in hell without calling the HVAC guy first.

Perhaps expecting coastal qualities in a Dallas sandwich is just too much to ask. Regional cuisines are usually better when closest to their point of origin. I wouldn't ask a Dallasite what they think of Tex-Mex in Jersey City, so why ask Aters where to land a good hoagie?

If you're up for a bit of do-it-yourself, try buying your bread at Vietnamese grocery/bakery.It's closer to a baguette (obviously) but has the crust and crumb reminiscent of an East Coast roll though a bit smaller in size.

Scott, One year ago this month, I too moved from DC to Dallas. There I worked for Lyon Bakery, here I work for Empire Baking Co. I think your "It's a poor bread town" comment is stemming more from a lack of quality restaurant suggestions. Please give us a chance to defend ourselves. We'd love to have you over to the bakery.

Have you tried any of the bread from Empire Bakery? Their torpedo roll is strong to quite strong. Whiskey Cake uses it on their Bahn Mi sandwich. Crusty on the outside, soft on the inside. Also JC Blanc is now behind the bread at Eatzi's and La Francais (I think). His old sandwich shop, Voila, in Allen was fantastic.

Emily I also think this is more of a restaurant issue and not particularly a bakery issue. That said,if a restaurant's bread isn't wowing its customers, consider buying from another local vendor. We all like to support each other!

@emily I agree that the bread at some indie bakeries is great, ( I have tried your excellent stuff too!) and at Central Market/ Whole Foods/Eatzi's also. But none of it seems to make it's way to the sandwich shops

It's almost always price point. Bread from smaller bakeries is cost prohibitive unless you're scaled large enough to negotiate a good rate.

I actually went to Eatzi's while hunting for the Hoag. I tried their baguette and "bone bread?" With those two massive deck ovens and a sizable bread program I thought that might be the place. It was good but....I'm still looking for a show stopper sandwich.